Trail Mix — 10.18.12

The new thriller Argo tells the long-classified tale of how six Americans escaped from Iran during the hostage crisis of 1980. History seems to be repeating as our embassies are under attack and Iran is scary again, all while we are electing a president. Director Ben Affleck doles out the ugly history of how America toppled Iran’s democratically elected leader. Yeah, we kind of helped create that mess.

Then, at the end, none other than Jimmy Carter voices the film’s coda. He lost his job, in part, over the hostage crisis, but Affleck lets him reminds us that no wars were launched. Argo made $20.1 million in its first weekend.

Not Answering the Question

Journalists and citizens alike want specifics when it comes to the master plan Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan intend to launch after they’re elected.

At a rally in Iowa, Ryan was asked by a citizen: “Why aren’t you more specific? I heard you, was it Sunday, when you were on Fox? And you didn’t answer his question about what are your plans.”

“No look,” Ryan answered, “when you get in a math conversation it can take a little while…”

Um, it’s OK, we have time.

Then, at the vice presidential debate last week, moderator Martha Raddatz wouldn’t let it go. She asked for specifics and followed up three times after each of Ryan’s non-answers. She concluded: “And you guarantee this math will add up?”

“Absolutely,” he said.

See? You’ve just got to trust them.

Inconvenient Quote

“It was the greatest sensation of existence: not to trust but to know.”

— Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged

“Hell Yeah!”

OK, so deep down inside Paul Ryan has to believe that people deserve to know. After all, in 2005 he said: “The reason I got involved in public service, by and large, if I had to credit one thinker, one person, it would be Ayn Rand.”

And while we’re on the subject of political movies and godless money-worshippers, Part II of Atlas Shrugged debuted the same night as Argo.

“We were asked the question, ‘Did you have this movie edited and made in time for the election?’” producer John Aglialoro told Politico.com. “And there was only one honest answer: Hell yeah!”

With Paul Ryan on the ticket and Ayn Rand on the march — despite what she says about trust — could this movie put Team Romney over the top? Hell yeah!

Except that it was audiences who shrugged. The film took in just $1.6 million over the weekend.